


Only Mabel Can Prevent Forest Fires

by ltskiki



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bigender Character, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gender Issues, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Nonbinary Character, Other, Self-Harm, Trans Male Character, Underage Smoking, it's happier than it sounds I promise, mabifica
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 13:01:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4626219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ltskiki/pseuds/ltskiki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mabel wanders into the woods after seeing smoke; awkwardness ensues</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Night Falls With Gravity

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here it is, my first Gravity Falls fic. I'm a sucker for Macifica. Female pronouns are used for Pacifica for simplicity and it's just want I see her as using, though she's bigender in this. There may be mentions of self harm and emotional abuse in later chapters.

Mabel almost always heard noises when she was lying it bed. Usually she assumed it was raccoons, or bigfoot, or some other harmless wildlife. But glancing out her window and noticing a small trail of smoke drifting between the trees, she decided to investigate.

Slipping on her kitten-shaped loafers, she crept to the attic’s door, being careful not to wake her brother. He hadn’t been getting much sleep as it was. He wouldn’t talk about it, but she knew it was the nightmares he had that only increased at the Shack. 

The floorboards creaked as she shuffled to the back door, causing her head to swivel back to see if she had awoken her great-uncle, who was sleeping in his easy chair, par-usual. When Mabel saw his breathing was steady, she slid out of the screen door. The air was quiet, and the only movement was a slight breeze that carried a single line of white smoke from the tree line, only about 20 yards away. Unsure of what was ahead of her, she clicked on her flashlight as she slowly edged towards the woods, letting her curiosity get the best of her.

As she walked closer, she suddenly wondered if she should have taken Dipper with her, or at least the journal. It could be some kind of creature, like a small dragon (which sounded more cute than frightening) or another gnome sending smoke signals towards her. What she found was far from that.

“Pacifica?”

Wide blue eyes caught in the beam of Mabel’s flashlight, and she finally understood the term ‘deer in the headlights’ 

“What do you want?” Pacifica asked coldly, like she wasn’t in _her_ backyard  in the middle of the night.

“I saw some-” Mabel stopped as her blonde counterpart took a drag from the cigarette in her hand. “Are you smoking?”

“Does it matter? Get off my case.” She turned her head, and Mabel noticed how reddened her eyes were. It could be from the smoke, but by the chokey-ness of her voice, she thought otherwise.

She was expecting herself to feel angry, when Uncle Ford came back almost 3 years ago, she caught him smoking on the porch and demanded he quit. He had wanted to argue, but he look Stan gave him said it was no use. She hasn’t seen a pack around the Shack since.

Kneeling to Pacifica’s height (she was currently sitting on a rock) she sighed and held out her hand.  
“Look, I know you don’t like me, but I’d rather not have my grunkle’s house burn down because of you.”

Begrudgingly, the other girl crunched the tip out onto the flat rock underneath her, and handed to Mabel, who put it into her pajama pocket.

“Happy?” She said softly.

Physically, Pacifica had barely changed. Her hair was long, but without the blunt bangs she had sported at 12 and 13. She still wore her signature purple, with a lavender crop top and white shorts. Mabel saw her shiver and wished she had brought a sweater.

“Soo…” Mabel started, addressing the elephant in the room. “Why _are_ you here?”

She shrugged, her cheeks flushing slightly. “I don’t know, I just..like your house. Not in a creepy way or anything! It’s warm.“

Mabel nodded. “I get it.” She hadn’t seen Pacifica in almost two years, but she still remembered how empty her house seemed, even when it was full of people.

The shorter blonde started to stand, and for some reason, Mabel didn’t want her to leave. She seemed so sad, and..lonely.

“Wait!” She exclaimed, grabbing onto her wrist.

“What?” She rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to pretend to be my friend.”

She saw her face fall, and reluctantly sat back down. Mabel didn’t want to force her to hang out with her, but she seemed to want the company, despite her attitude.

“So.” Pacifica started, not quite sure how to start a conversation with her former enemy in the middle of the night.  
"Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

“Yeah, you were in Italy all last summer, right?” Mabel asked, eager to try to cheer up the other.

“Actually, it was a month long cruise that ended it Italy. My parents didn’t think that being around the ‘other people’ here was good for me, so we stayed for the rest of the summer.”

“Oh.” Mabel said, not sure whether or not to take that as an insult. “Well, I’m sure a girl like you really enjoyed all the..gondolas?”

Pacifica tensed up, twisting her hair between her fingers. “Don’t call me that.”

“What, a gondola? It’s just a boa-oh.” She looked her in the eye. “Are you not a girl?”

“Nevermind, forget I said anything. I should probably get going, anyways.”

“Pacifica! It’s fine.”

A tear slipped out from the corner of her eye. “No, it’s not. I don’t know what the deal is with me anymore! I don’t even know who I am.”

Mabel’s expression hardened. Everything suddenly clicked together. She couldn’t stand to see anyone this upset and confused, no matter who they were. “Did Dipper ever tell you?”

Pacifica sniffled and wipe her eyes. “Tell me what?”

She debated for a second. It really wasn’t her place to tell anyone, but for some reason, she trusted Pacifica.  
“He’s trans.”

She looked shocked. “Really? I had no idea.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t like talking about it. But if you ever wanted to talk to him about..stuff, I’m sure he would understand.”

“I’m not a boy, you know.” Pacifica looked away. “But I don’t know if I’m a girl either.”

“That’s okay! You don’t have to be a guy or a girl. You could be nonbinary.”

By then her tears had stopped. “What’s that?”

“It’s hard to explain. I know a lot about this kind of stuff because of Dipper, I could show you online! Come on.”

Pacifica stood up, dusting off her shorts. “Okay. My parents haven’t scheduled any interviews or gatherings for tomorrow, so they probably won’t notice I’m gone.”

Mabel thought for a moment how strange that was, and kind of sad, but she grabbed Pacifica’s hand and led her to the door. It awkward, and her palms were sweaty, but neither of them let go.


	2. Will a new face make it better?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel is queer as fuck and Paz might be even queerer. (Takes place almost immediately after chapter 1)

“So.”   
Pacifica Northwest was currently seated on the counter in her previous enemy’s “home”. If you could call a building with less than 8 bathrooms that. 

“Oh, right!” Mabel exclaimed, almost toppling over from her stool, reaching to silence the beeping microwave. It flashed 3:18 A.M as she pulled out two mugs.

“Sorry, now that we have some drinks, I’ll grab the labtop and we can get started!”

She set a frothing cup next to Pacifica and raced up the stairs, seeming to have forgotten everyone else in the house was asleep. Pacifica took a sip of the warm, brown liquid and looked around her.

Without the clatter and chatter Mabel always seemed to make, the house felt..peaceful. But not empty, like hers often was. If she concentrated hard enough, she thought she could hear the faint snoring of the others who inhabited the house.

Absentmindedly, she started brushing her fingers over the spot on her arm. It was faint and could only really be noticed when you grazed your hand against it, but about half of her lower arm had small, pale lines that spread evenly on the spot just below her wrist. None of them touched each other, and they were all straight. It was a force of habit at this point, for some reason the sensation felt natural. She continued her ritual even after she heard a crash from upstairs, and feet on the stairwell.

“Are you petting yourself?”  
She quickly withdrew her hand and hid it underneath her.

“No, why would I do that?”

Mabel looked at her for a second, and ending up deciding to drop it. She had lots of weird habits, and there were more important things afoot!

“Ew, what is _that_?" Pacifica exclaimed, pointing a horrified finger at the computer in Mabel’s hands.

"It’s me and Dipper’s labtop! Uncle Ford helped us hook it up to the Internet and everything! It used to be his friend McGucket’s.” Mabel sweeped her hand across the ‘Property of F’ that adorned the top.

“Let’s do this!”

Pacifica watched her hands dance around the keyboard, pressing seemingly random keys until she found her destination.

“Here!” She said proudly, turning the screen to face the blonde teen. She hopped off the counter and sat beside Mabel at the table, analysing the nouns in front of her.

“Gay, know what that is. Lesbian, duh. Bisexual, transgender..what’s pansexual?”

Mabel beamed, throwing her hands up in the air. “I’m pansexual!”

“Er..good for you. But what does that _mean_?"  

“I’m sexually attracted to pans!” She yelled, earning a horrified stare from Pacifica.

“I’m kidding, it was a joke! This explains it pretty well.”

She clicked on the word, letting it open a new tab. There was a plain description laid out on a white page.

"Pansexual. Not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity.” Pacifica read, feeling her cheeks blush. “So you like girls _and_  boys?”

“I like everyone!” She exclaimed. “I like boys, girls, nonbinary individuals, mer people, you get the point.”

Pacifica nodded, feeling a slight discomfort for a reason she didn’t quite know. It didn’t bother her, Mabel was an affectionate person, it made sense she’d want to share her love with anyone, scales or not. But her stomach still churned at the fact that she was treating this so _casually_.

“Are you okay, Pacifica?” Mabel looked at her with her big, brown eyes and she felt herself instantly melted into goo. She looked so genuinely concerned, and last time Pacifica checked, she didn’t even like her!

“Yeah, I just think that hot chocolate got to my stomac. I’m not used to commoner food.”

Mabel shrugged, continuing to scroll down.  
“Any questions, ask me."

Pacifica looked at the words passing her eyes, and was completely confused. 

“Bear? Lipstick Lesbian? Demisexual? I don’t get any of these!”

Mabel shushed her, reading the definitions and answering any further questioning. After about 20 minutes of doing so, Pacifica stopped and pointed at a specific passage.

“Wait. What’s that?”

“What, a TERF?”

“No, no, before that.” She leaned into the screen. “Bigender.”

“Let’s see!” Mabel said, clicking away. 

Pacifica’s eyes widened as she read the words silently.

‘Bigender is a gender identity that falls under the non-binary umbrella. To identify as bigender generally means you identify as two genders. You could identify as both at the same time. You can go back and forth between two genders’

“So, a bigender person can be a boy and a girl at the same time?”

Manel shrugged. “Sure. Why?”

Pacifica kept quiet, letting the idea settle in her mind. It fit so perfectly.

“Okay.” She said finally. “I’m that. But don’t tell anybody!”

Mabel punched her arm lightly. “I’m not a complete asshole, Pacifica, I’m not gonna out you before you’re ready.” She covered her mouth, looking apologetic.

“Is it okay if I still call you Pacifica? What pronouns do you want me to use?”

Pacifica thought about the lesson in misgendering and proper pronouns she just had. 

“Yeah, that’s fine. I like my name. And you can call me a she, I know that it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m a girl. Just don’t call me that. A girl, I mean. Or a boy.”

Without warning, she was suddenly enveloped in the soft warm orange of Mabel’s sweater. In the sweeping motion of her sleeve across the table, one of the mugs had crashed to ground, causing a loud shatter to echo through out the room.

“I’m so happy for you, Paz.” 

While she wasn’t used to the nickname, or the display of affection, it felt natural. So natural, that she felt herself squeezing back, feeling Mabel’s hot breath against her neck, then her cheek, and finally, her lips.

It was the most innocent of kisses, a simple brushing of lips, but Pacifica wanted it to last forever. Her palms were sweaty and she had no idea what she was doing and oh god were lip kisses supposed to last this long? Is she supposed to open her mouth? That sounded gross. Before she could figure out what to do, a familiar voice came from the living room.

“Mabel? It’s after four in the morning, why aren’t you in-”

Dipper faltered, watching the scene unfold. The two immediately parted and turned to face him, cheeks red and breathing heavily.

“I’m-I’m just gonna..go..” He said, turning around on his bare feet and half-running up the stairs. 

They were silent for a long minute, before Mabel burst out laughing.

“Oh. My. God!” She managed to squeak between cackles. 

“Did you see his face?! 'Uh, hey, Pacifica. I see you’re macking on my sister at the moment, I’m gonna go write this in my journal’ ahahahaha!” She almost yelled, failing to imitate her brother’s crackley voice.

Pacifica was still, her hand placed on her wrist. Suddenly her eyes filled up with tears.

“I have to leave!” She said, trying to hide her face from the girl.

Laughing fit over, Mabel turned to her. “Why? I thought you said you were gonna sleep over?”

“Well, I changed my mind.” She choked, failing to hide the sob in her voice.

Mabel’s face changed to a look of concern, and put her hand on her shoulder.

“Paz..it was just Dipper. Come on, it was funny.”

Pacifica stood up, her face scrunched up in rage and hurt.

“Funny?! That was completely embarrassing! What if he tells somebody? What if my parents find out?” 

Mabel stayed silent, not sure what to say. Pacifica grabbed her bejeweled backpack, slipping out the back door.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay? I need to go.”

“Wait!”

Mabel watched the screen door slam shut, her mind confused and upset. Kissing her was _embarrassing_? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a bucket full of angst! This is a happy story, I promise. Lots of self acceptance and pigs and rainbows to come.


	3. Ring around the Rosy, I wanna give you what you Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper gives some advice.

"Mabel?"

Dipper peeked into the bedroom. A little after four  
am, his sibling had plopped facedown on her bed, and as far as he could tell, hadn't moved since.

"What's up with you? It's after nine already, usually you're dressed and annoying customers by now." He said, readjusting his hat so it would hold back his bangs, as he wiped off the beads of sweat that had formed.  
"It's way to hot to be up in the attic. Heat rises."

At first he thought she might be asleep, but the blob of hair covering her face moved as he heard a muffled sigh of frustration.   
"Pacifica..."

He groaned. Ever since Mabel kissed Grenda during a sleep over when they were 13, the realization had made Dipper's life a living hell. If everyone thought Mabel was boy-crazy before, they were in for a shock if they didn't think she would be just as crazy for all other genders. Now she wasn't just making sock puppets for boys, she was creating cluttered fashion blogs for artsy girls, tapdancing to impress the entire dance team, and even buying a hamster she named after the (as far as he knew) gender neutral kid a grade above them. Dipper hoped that once she got over the fact that Grenda just wanted to be friends, she would take rejection easier. After about a week he found that was not the case.

"Did she break up with you?"   
He hadn't seen or heard of the Northwests in over two years, but he knew Mabel had a life outside the shack; there were a few people in her scrapbook of romance that he had never seen in his life.

"No!" She mumbled, then gingerly sat up. "I don't know what happened. She was smoking outside and she was crying and I felt bad and I actually kindof wanted to hang out with her too so I made hot chocolate and then we were kissing and then she left!"

"Wait, Pacifica was just wandering around here? In the middle of the night?" He asked, trying to process the pieces of information one by one.

"I guess. I don't think she wanted to be at her house."

"Okay, so you let her in? She almost got us killed!"

"That was like, 3 years ago, Dip! She's different. She looked so...sad."

"So you kissed her? She's probably not used to kissing other girls."

He saw her hesitate for a moment, like she was going to correct him on something, but all she said was   
"She kissed me."

Dipper wasn't expecting that.   
"Really?"   
She nodded somberly, picking at a bug bite on her elbow as she looked out the window.

"That's great, Mabel!" He said sincerely, glad this wasn't just another one-sided crush.

"Then why did she run away?" She asked, defeated.   
"Did I scare her away?"

He hesitated for a moment. It was definitely a possibility, but usually when someone finds Mabel's personality too overbearing, they leave before planting their lips on her.

"I don't think so. She probably scared herself. I mean, she's a Northwest, what do you think her parents would say?"

Mabel stood up, looking even more concerned, if less sad.   
"Oh my gosh, Dipper, you're right! She could be like, in LOVE with me or something, but she's afraid to say so! It's like Romeo and Juliet!"

She pulled a sweater over her t-shirt, and shot her grappling hook through the window in one swift movement.  
"Tell Stan I'll be back in a few hours!" She called out as she jumped, sliding to the bottom of the totem pole.

Dipper groaned. _Here we go again._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was so short, it's more of transition chapter to what happens next (which I actually don't know! I write my chapters as I come up with them haha)


	4. Don't Wanna Leave This Playdate With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All I can say is this is super gay

Pacifica sat on her purple swivel chair, scrolling through tumblr. She usually only used it to post selfies, or reblog sunsets and high fashion, but now she was deep in the 'bigender' tag. She saw tons of post of out people with dresses and facial hair, side by side mirror photos of their transformations, but it only made her feel worse.   
Her hair was long, her chest was large, and she didn't own even one button up shirt (which seems to be some kind of requirement for being trans?) She'd never 'pass' as a guy, or even adrogynous.

She didn't want to search sexualities, whenever she thought about it her stomach clenched and she felt nauseous. She'd been on a few dates before, and she thinks she would have enjoyed spending time with a boy, if all of her suitors weren't so snooty. Mabel was her first real kiss though. A couple boys with overstarched suits and annoying accents had pecked her dryly on the mouth, but she was pretty sure they only did so to please her parents. 

But Mabel was different. Pacifica had facilitated it, and Mabel returned the favor. She could taste the sickly sweet grape lipgloss Mabel probably got from a gumball machine for a quarter, and for once, she actually felt warm. But after she returned to her senses, she was panicked. What was she doing here? Guilting a girl into taking her in, and then making a move on her? And a Pines, for that. Her parents were disgusted by her showing friendship to Dipper, imagine what they would think of Mabel? 

The thought had her shutting her laptop, and rummaging through her oversized purse for her cigarettes. After finding her vintage cigarette holder in her desk, she opened her window and leaned out, taking a long drag. She liked the way the long, silver pipe fit in her fingers, the way it made her feel like she was in some 40's romance movie she had been forced to watch growing up. Her smudged red lipstick from the night before, and her black brazier furthered the aesthetic.

The moment was ruined a few minutes later, when she felt something hit her in the eye, causing her to drop the last of her smoke out the window.

"What the hell?" She yelled, clutching her face.

"Oops." She heard an apologetic voice call from the ground.

"What? Mabel!" She said, half angry and half terrified. She didn't want to see her again, not for a long time. She wasn't ready.

"I thought your window was closed, I was trying to get your attention!"

"Well I guess it worked. What are you doing here?" She snapped, coming off sharper than intended.

"I just wanted to talk. You know, pal to pal?"

"Fine." She griped, leaning down to spot the girl. She was wearing a blue sweater with some sort of sad frog on it? She wasn't sure.

"How did you even get over the wall?" Pacifica asked, seeming annoyed yet impressed.

Instead of a verbal response, you know, the kind _normal_ people use, a grappling hook shot towards her window, scraping onto the spot where her hand had laid moments before.   
"Mabel!" She hissed, looking towards the door behind her.   
"My parents are home!" She frowned at the scrapes the sharp prongs of the hook had made on the window pane.  
"And this is handcrafted _Italian_  glass!"

"I was nowhere near the actual window! It's wide open!" Mabel protested, as she hooked her arms around the thick metal cord that connected her to the second floor of the home.

"What are you doing?!"

She gave a confused look, like her intentions were obvious.  
"I'm coming up! I did this in gym once, it's fine!"

Pacifica gave a horrified shriek when the metal hook wobbled as she began her ascent. Her room was at least 30 feet off the ground.  
"You're going to get yourself killed!"

"It's fine!" She repeated, waving a hand to show how insignificant the height was to her, as she lost her grip and swung upside down like a sloth.  
"Almost halfway there!" She assured as she righted herself.

Pacifica groaned and started cleaning up the outfit she had hastily thrown onto the floor the night before, and put them into her hamper. Now it looked acceptable for guests. She gave a smile of satisfaction, then heard a loud thump and groan.

"I..did it!" Mabel huffed, rubbing her chafed hands together.  
"I got ropeburn!" She exclaimed, showing off the raw and bleeding flesh of her palms, grinning like a child. 

"You're bleeding!" Pacifica yelped, grabbing the girl's wrists.

"I mean-you're going to stain the carpet!" She said lamely, grabbing a box of tissues off her desk and handing it to Mabel.

"I'm going to get the first aid kit."

Just as she was about to lay her fingers on the doorknob, a sharp knock reverberated from the other side.  
"Pacifica? Is everything all right in there?"

She shot the injured girl a panicked look, before silently ushering her onto the bed, covering her entire body in throw pillows and stuffed animals.  
"Yes, I'm fine. Come in!"

"I heard a loud noise." Her father said skeptically.

"I fell off the bed!" She answered quickly, patting the comforter underneath her. 

"I could have sworn I heard voices." His eyes narrowed.

"I was just skyping my friend from Italy! Her English lessons are going really well."

Much to her relief, he gave a satisfied grunted and left with a reminder about the Oregon Times interview that week.

"That was close." She said as Mabel shot up from under the pastel animals and took a deep breath.  
"You were sitting on my boob!" She said accusedly, gingerly adjusting her top.

"How was I supposed to know? Your sweater looks like a muppet."

Mabel laughed and lightly threw a stuffed pig at her counterpart.

"Anyways, you should probably get going once I patch you up."

"What, why?"

"My dad is on the other side of the mansion right now but I don't know for how long."

Mabel sighed, sensing the the dishonesty in Pacifica’s voice. She wasn't going to let her off so easy this time.

"We should talk about last night."

Pacifica breathed in sharply through her front teeth. "Let me grab some bandaids from the bathroom first."

She quickly slipped out, walking down the hall to the large white door. There was a first aid kit she ways kept under the porcelain sink, despite not needing it for a while. She opened it up, grabbing a few bandaids in the process. 

Remembering the gauze hastily taped to her forearm, slightly under her elbow, she stripped off the white wax paper that covered the sticky back of tan strip. Quickly, she ripped off the gauze, which was coated in a yellow, wet substance. Yuck. The burn was about the size of a dime, and still blackened with ash. The inside was a sickly mustard color, which surprised and upset her. Pacifica wasn't really sure what an infection was supposed to look like, but this was definitely not good.

Tearing her eyes away, she turned on the faucet and let cold water run over her arm, slapping on the bandaid just as the door creaked open. 

"Pacifica?"

She turned around, shutting off the tap. She must have been in there longer than she thought.

"Yeah? Come here." She gestured towards the toilet, and Mabel sat down on the lid, with Pacifica kneeling in front of her.

"This looks like it costs more than my house." She said, fiddling with the handle in awe.

Pacifica shrugged as she grabbed the girl's hand and ripped the backing off a bandaid with her teeth. "Probably."

"What's that from?" Mabel pressed on the new bandage by Pacifica's elbow. She winced, pulling her hand away.

"Don't worry about it." She answered, putting the last of the bandaids on.

Mabel's playful smile faded. "Seriously, what is it?"

"Mabel, it doesn't matter, god." She forced a smile, like she couldn't believe she was making such a big deal out of nothing.

"You're really not gonna tell me? I thought-"

"What? That we're suddenly best friends?" Pacifica asked pointedly, even when she saw the pain on Mabel's face.

"No, I just care, you know? I like you, we're friends."

"Yeah." She admitted. She felt way closer than she thought someone should feel after not seeing the other for almost two years.

"You can tell me." Mabel smiled, and again, she melted into the floor.

"Okay, just don't like, make fun of me or anything." Pacifica warned, peeling back the tan covering.

"Paz.." Mabel said, concern filling her eyes.  
"Did one of your parents-"

"No, no!" She assured quickly, waving her hands.   
"It's nothing like that."

"What?"

"Can we just go back to my room, now?" She asked quietly, glancing at the door behind her.

"Sure, but I'm taking this with, you need to get that cleaned up." Mabel said, grabbing onto the first aid kit's handle. 

They walked back in silence, Mabel's fingers gingerly grasping the tips of Pacifica's. Once they arrived back in the large, neat room, Mabel ordered the other to sit on her computer chair, re-opening the box.

"It's fine, I already took care of it." Pacifica protested.

"No offense, but you probably shouldn't aim for a PhD." Mabel said lightly, waving her hands around, which were covered in sloppily placed bandaids.

"Fine, whatever." Pacifica moved her arm in front of her, wincing as Mabel wiped an alcohol pad over the burn.

"This is infected, I'm gonna put some sav on it." The girl warned, squeezing a small amount of the solution onto her fingertip. 

After a few minutes of dressing the wound, she stopped and examined her work.

"You should be fine now, just keep putting on the cream every day, and change the gauze."

"Yes Doctor Mabel!" Pacifica saluted, giggling as she plopped onto her bed.

Mabel followed suit, admiring the way the soft mattress felt against her back. She hummed in content as she held Pacifica’s arm above her, tracing circles around the wound. Suddenly, she stopped.

"Oh, Paz." She inhaled, looking at the thin, pale lines and the way they shimmered in the florescent light.

"Yeah." Pacifica said simply, affirming the situation. She was nervous, but she felt safe around Mabel.

"Not anymore?" Mabel's eyes shined when she looked at her.

"Not for a while before last night, no."

Pacifica was alarmed when she felt soft lips against her arm. The scar tissue was especially sensitive, and she shivered as the girl's mouth grazed them over and over.

"I care about you, you know." Mabel looked at her with those innocent doe eyes. This was fine. This was okay.

"I know, I do too." Fine. Okay.

Mabel tucked her loose hair behind her ear as she got onto her knees, leaning over Pacifica.   
"Can I kiss you?"

She nodded slowly.

She was so sweet. Her lips were coated in lip balm and all Pacifica could think about was how lucky she was. They parted, and Pacifica pulled her back a couple more times. Their teeth scraped together, and she opened her eyes, embarrassed, until Mabel giggled good-naturedly and pecked her on the nose.

"Isn't your dad coming to check on you soon?" She asked, sitting up and readjusting her headband.

"He had a flight scheduled at one." She admitted.

"You're so mean! You were gonna make me leave for no reason."

"I was nervous." Pacifica shot back, blushing.

"You? Nervous? You're like, the most intimidating person in Gravity Falls." She huffed.

"I've never even had a boyfriend..or a girlfriend I guess. Not that you have to be, I mean-"

"Yeah. Well, I'd like to be. Your girlfriend, that is."

Pacifica covered her face with her hands; this was happening really fast and she felt like a teenage idiot and it felt so good and excruciating at the same time. She wanted to babble out everything about how happy she felt around her, or how scared she was, but all she managed to breath out was a simple word.

"Cool."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't think I drew their outfits before writing this you're wrong. I'm worried I made Paz a little too..eager? She really likes Mabel, but has a lot of internalized homophobia, but separating yourself from the people who encourage that behavior (her parents) and being around positive influences really changes a person.


	5. You Feel So far Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel and Pacifica have different meanings of 'dating'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I haven't updated this fic in an entire year! It was so fun to write, but I had an extremely long writers block. The writing may sound a but different as I'm rusty, I'm sorry to everyone who's been waiting for a new chapter! This one is more of a transition chapter, so the big plot will come into play soon! Thanks for sticking with me♡

Pacifica shivered, feeling Mabel's hair tickle her nose and her hands cupping the back of her neck. After a beat or two she again instigated a kiss, shyly letting Mabel explore the insides of her mouth. Her heart was beating faster than she thought possible, not sure if it was from excitement..or fear?   
Suddenly the hand on her neck felt suffocating, and the other that had unhooked her bra felt cold as ice.  
She stopped the kiss and hid her eyes from her new girlfriend. "Can we just..stop, for a second?" She asked softly. 

Mabel's mouth became a small o as she spewed an apology. "Oh my gosh, I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to, I mean I don't want to pressure you I just-"

"It's fine." Paz cut her off with a small chuckle.   
"I'm just..not ready for that."

Mabel opened her mouth to form another concession but was stopped by a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"It's really alright." Pacifica said truthfully. She knew Mabel probably had way more experience, with other girls of boys or..whatever she was. She felt a small amount of embarrassment at stopping her, but she knew it was important not only to herself, but Mabel too, to wait until she was ready for anything sexual.

"Oh heck!" Mabel exclaimed, checking her phone.  
"Grunkle Stan called me like 5 times, I'm supposed to be on the register today! I'm sorry, I have to go."   
She pecked Paz on the lips and headed for the window.

"No one's home, you can use the-"

But she had already grappled a tree and was on the way down. She chuckled softly.  
 _What a dork._    
~~~~~~~

 

Flinging open the door, Mabel hastily repositioned her headband and slid behind the counter, bumping right into Wendy Corduroy.

"Whoa, where's the fire girly? And what happened to your face?"

Mabel touched her cheek lightly, then turned around to look at the mirror behind the cash register. Her mouth and cheeks were covered in red lipstick.

"Oh my god." She heard a door slam in the distance and footsteps as she swung around

"Dammit, is Mabel still not back? That girl-"

Mabel froze. _What could be more embarrassing_   She thought, panicked. Her great uncle giving her another 'birds and the bees' talk? She needed avoid that at all costs.

Cool as every, Wendy was already on it. "She's been here for like half an hour man," She called. "Also, Dipper said he needed to talk to you, something about a rash?"

There were some mumbled curse words, but the footsteps faded as the girls tried to contain their laughter.  
"Here," Wendy handed her a tissue and ushered her to the bathroom with a wink.

"Thanks." Mabel called, rubbing her mouth vigorously.  
"Hey, I'm not about to break girl code." She laughed. "Or gay code."

Mabel reappeared, glancing back at her redheaded savior.  
It was true, over the fast few summers the two had saved each other's asses more than a few times. She was 18 now, and planning to leave for college in the fall. Despite her small-town roots, Mabel knew she'd fit in. Her 'no makeup because fuck society, but also because I'm lazy' look, undercut, and new septum piercing screamed Portland.

"So, who's the lucky lady?" Wendy leaned her elbow on the snow globe display.

"First, you have to promise you won't be mad." Mabel started with a sheepish smile. She knew that, along with everyone else in the town, Wendy felt extremely controlled by the Northwests. And the answer to control is rebellion 

Wendy's smiled faded. 'Wait, was it Tambry? That's not cool."

Mabel shook her head vigorously. She knew the two girls had a brief 'thing', but it turned out Tambry was only into girls after a few beers.  
"No! I wouldn't do that to a pal! It's.. Pacifica."

Wendy laughed. "Seriously, who was it?"

"I'm telling the truth! Who else wears red in this town?"

Wendy's mouth dropped open and she starting pacing. "Dude...dude! This is awesome! The richest, preppiest, _snootiest_  girl in Gravity Falls is a lesbian? Classic!" She winked again. "Lucky you."

"I don't think she's a lesbian, she's not even-" Mabel covered her mouth. It wasn't her place to out her.  
"I mean, she's dated guys too so.."

"Even better! Are her parents pissed?"

"They don't know..yet." Mabel said sheepishly.

"Well, are you guys official? I haven't seen her hanging around the Shack." 

Mabel grinned slightly. "Yeah, as of like, today."

The taller redhead nodded. "I understand, you're not exactly in the 'meet the folks' stage."

"Um..yea, that's why." She replied distractedly. 

"Anyways, my shift is almost _kind of_  over, so see ya later, ladykiller!" Wendy hopped over the counter, truck keys in hand.

"Kay, bye."

She hadn't really thought much of it when she was shoved into a stuffed animal fort, but now that she was alone, her mind was racing. Would she ever be in the 'meet the folks' stage? Or..the meet anyone phase?


	6. Pretty and Handsome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A big bucket of fluff!

10:32 PM  
TheRealNorthwest: Hey Mabel?

10:32 PM  
TheRealNorthwest: U up?

10:34PM  
PrincessPines: Yea, everything okay?

10:37PM  
TheRealNorthwest: not really 

10:37PM  
PrincessPines: what's wrong?

10:38PM  
TheRealNorthwest: It's really not  
a big deal I just 

10:39PM  
TheRealNorthwest: my parents came home and at dinner they just kept calling me their little princess and baby girl and how long my hair is I can't take it anymore

10:39PM  
PrincessPines: I'm so sorry paz

10:40 PM  
TheRealNorthwest: It never used  
to hurt this bad

10:41PM  
TheRealNorthwest: Even when they call me she or her or something it makes my chest hurt

10:41PM  
PrincessPines: ( ;-;)/♡ I really want to help you and be there for you!! Pls correct me if I use she anymore and you don't like it

10:42PM  
PrincessPines: do you want me to start using they/them pronouns?

10:45PM  
TheRealNorthwest:..yeah that sounds good. I kind of just said it's okay to use she/her because I thought it would be too complicated to change things

10:46PM  
PrincessPines: it's not!! I really care about you and want to make you happy

10:47PM  
PrincessPines:Do u want me to come over?

10:48PM  
TheRealNorthwest: can't my parents are sleeping

10:49PM  
PrincessPines :(

10:51PM  
PrincessPines: !!can me and dipper pick you up tomorrow??

10:51PM  
TheRealNorthwest: I guess

10:51PM  
TheRealNorthwest: Why?

10:52 PM  
PrincessPines: It's a surprise! Pls?? 

10:53PM  
TheRealNorthwest: Okay? 

10:55 PM  
PrincessPines: Yay!! I gtg, gn my dude!

10:56PM  
TheRealNorthwest: Night hon

10:56PM  
PrincessPines: :)

Pacifica smiled softly in the dim light their phone emitted. Admittedly, they weren''t one for surprises, especially by the hand of Mabel. She was so..eccentric, they had no idea what could be in store. They tiredly glanced at the razor blade next to them on the bed, then gently placed back under their boxspring. They thought back on the knots that had wrapped around their stomach at dinner, and how they had completely forgotten about it as soon as they reached out to Mabel.  
_Not tonight._   

~~~~~~

Pacifica checked their watch as they slipped on a pink leather jacket and matching booties, wondering what on earth constituted 'morning' for a Pines, it was already 11:45 and no one had buzzed at the gate..or snuck in through a window. Just as they were planning on going out and waiting for them beyond the gate, they heard a muffled conversation.

"Is the blindfold really necessary? I don't think they're gonna-"

"Fine, I guess it doesn't have to be a /complete/ surprise, Mr. Buzzkill."

"I just don't think-"

"Guys?" They spoke into the microphone.

"Paz! Come on we're almost late!"

They sighed. "Late for-nevermind, I'm on my way." They took their finger off the button and opened the gate, quickly scooting under it before hitting the remote again, closing it.

"Hey hon!" Mabel yelped, attacking them with a bear hug.

"Hi, Mabel." They chuckled, turning around to meet the other twin.

"Hey." Dipper said simply, holding out his hand.  
They shook it gingerly.  
"Long time no see, ghost boy." 

"Well technically I saw you like 3 days ag-"

"Yeah, let's not talk about that right now." Paz looked away, a hint of blush on their cheeks.  
"Anyways, what's going on?"

"It's a surprise, come on!" Mabel grabbed their hand and they headed out through the woods.

The trio walked for about 5 minutes when they started thinking about what the mystery twins could be leading them to. Bigfoot? Giant spiders? They gasped inwardly. A..strip mall?

"What's going on? Where are we?"

Mabel shoved Dipper, and they both did jazz hands and pointed to a shop.

"Uncle Barry's Barber Shop?"

"Yea! I know last night you said you were sick of having long hair, I thought you'd like it!"

They nodded, realizing that they had the best girlfriend ever.  
Paifica smiled and squeezed Mabel's hand.  
"Thank you."  
The three entered the store, and an elderly man with a handlebar mustache greeted them.

"Oh, hello kids!" He boomed, his voice strong yet inviting.

He walked up to Dipper, sweeping off his blue baseball cap. "You came to the right place sonny, I haven't seen a mop like this in awhile."

Mabel and Paz laughed as Dipper blushed and snatched back his hat.

"Uh, actually we're here for my partner Paz? They want a haircut."  
They looked away, letting go of Mabel's hand. 

After a beat or two, who they assumed was Barry smiled and chuckled "Alright, kiddo, what do ya want? A trim? A chop? Red, brown, blue? I do it all!"

Mabel smiled at them encouragely.

"Uh, I think I want it about down to here." They motioned to the space a few inches below their chin. It was something they'd thought about often. Most of the gender nonconforming people they'd seen had very short hair, but they didn't know if they wanted that drastic of a change.

"Okay, sit down right here and I'll work my magic." Barry bellowed, reaching for his scissors and a comb.

"You sure about this?" Dipper asked Pacifica kindly. "I was terrified first time I cut mine off..of course I was 11..and used safety scissors but-"

Mabel put a hand over his mouth. "Don't worry! You're gonna look so pretty! Or handsome?"

They grinned. "Both, please."

They stared in the barbershop's mirror. Long blonde hair, and a face full of mascara and blush. They sighed and closed their eyes as the first snip came.

10 minutes later, it was done.

"I'm don't wanna look, I'm scared." They said, wringing their hands.  
"It's okay Paz! You look great."  
They sighed and spoke in the direction they thought they barber was in.  
"Cant I have a wet cloth?" He nodded and went to the back, showing up a few second later, towel in hand.  
"Thanks."  
Rubbing the white fabric over their face until it felt clean, they handed it back and turned around.  
It was perfect. The wispy bob curled beautifully, accentuated their strong jaw and cheekbones, unmarred by the femininity of their makeup. A tear slipped down their cheek as they turned around and hug Mabel and Dipper.

"Thank you guys so much, I love it. I feel..real."

Dipper smiled. "I know exactly what you mean."

After a few more tears, they walked up to the cash register.  
"How much?" They asked, pulling out a visa.  
"I'ts on the house this time, kids"  
"I can't accept that, here." They tried to hand him they card, but he waved it away.  
"Thank you so much." They said, opening the door.  
"You look very pretty! Pretty and handsome." The older man called as the trio exited.

"Where are you going?" Mabel called as Paz stared towards the trees. "We"re not done yet!"

"What do you guys have in mind?"

"You can't have a makeover without a new wardrobe!" She called, motioning back towards the mall.

"Oh we can go shopping, but not in this dumpy town." Paz explained as they headed towards the bus stop.  
"We're going on a road trip"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting into the swing of things! From now on, Paz is using they/them pronouns! Thanks for reading!


	7. Girls Like Girls (and boys)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang checks out some local stores in Portland

"Ugh." Mabel picked up her hand, trying to wipe off the sticky substance from the bus seat.

"This is so gross, how can someone like you ride the bus?"

Paz laughed, "Well I can't take the limo everywhere,my parents would notice. It's not perfect, but it gets me places discreetly."

Mabel scooted closer to them and away from the gunk filled armrest. "Like where?" Paz grinned. "Everywhere? Parties, skate parks.. smoke shops, the works."

"Wow, I didn't know you had it in you, man." Dipper said, "You must be pretty badass."

" _Smoking_   isn't badass, dipstick." Mabel interjected, shooting Pacifica a look.

"Jeez, Mabes, I meant the skating part. You know how?" He asked, turning to them.

"A little," they admitted. "I've been paying some Portland kids to show me the basics."

"Cool!" Mabel grabbed her partner's shoulder playfully. "Paz, you gotta teach me some _rad moves_  "

"You're such a dork!" They laughed, pushing her lightly.

"Guys, our stop is next." Dipper called from a few seats ahead.

"Whoa, look at that guy!" Mabel called, pointing to a heavily pierced man as she opened the window.

"Hi!"

"Mabel!" Paz grabbed ahold of the back of her shirt, pulling her head back into the bus.

"What? I'm being nice! Whoa, look at her!" "Is she five?" They asked, shooting an exhausted look at Dipper. He let out a short chuckle before the bus jerked to a stop and slammed his face against the seat in front of him.

"That's what you get for laughing at me!" Mabel stuck out her tongue as she followed Paz through the aisle, him shuffling behind with a hand on his head.

" _This_   is where you go shopping?" Mabel asked incredulously, looking down the street. The sidewalks were littered with bicycles and people walking their dogs. Everyone looked so..alternative. Almost all of them had a beanie on despite the rare sunny Oregon day. There were people with metal all over their faces, people with blue or pink hair or none at all. It didn't exactly scream 'Northwest'.

"Not really." Paz admitted, glancing towards a trendy secondhand boutique.

"I come here a lot, but I've always been too scared to get the clothes I want."

" _You're_ scared?" Mabel asked.

"Yeah,I mean..I grew up in dresses and push ups bras. I'm not really sure I even know what I want." They looked away.

Mabel let out a squeal, dancing around a couple and their dog, receiving strange looks from everyone on the sidewalk. "MAKEOVER TIME!" She started counting off the basics, including body glitter and leg warmers to a name a few.

Dipper stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No offense Mabel, but I think this might be my department." He glanced quickly at Paz as she gave a nod.

"Yeah, don't get me wrong hon, I love the way you dress, but I want something a little more..." they trailed off, thinking of the right word.

"Androgynous?" Dipper suggested. "Yeah." They agreed.

"Well, why don't we stop there first?" He pointed to a shop across the street with a bearded cashier visible through the glass. The others both agreed, carefully maneuvering across the strip of tar. The man at the counter greeted them, and Mabel pointed out his man bun, and shoved her brother, giggling.

"Come on, Dipstick, you could totally rock that." He glanced over the the cashier, who smiled warmly at him. His cheeks reddened.

"Hey, check this out." Paz called, pulling a button-up shirt with a diamond pattern out of the rack.

"Super cute!" Mabel gushed. She suddenly saw a glint of shiny fabric at the other side of the store and ran off.

"This place is actually pretty cool." Paz commented, making Dipper smile.

"Ooh, you have to get this." They pulled out a blue flannel, tossing it towards the boy.

"I'm not really-"

"Oh shush, it's gonna look great!" They replied, grabbing a few more items.

"Okay, I'm gonna try some of these on." They said, walking over towards the dressing rooms. Dipper sighed in relief, carrying their massive load of clothing.

"Try that on." They directed at him as he handed over the clothes and walked into the adjacent stall. He reluctantly grabbed a number card from the sales assistant, and locked the door. Shrugging on the flannel over his t-shirt, he thought of his first time shopping in the men's section. He'd never been much of a shopper, but he remembered how excited he was to try on the loose t shirts and converse, not caring how the colors clashed. Shaking his head, he looked at the mirror, impressed. The garment matched his hat perfectly, and contrasted well with the red top. He'd always thought shopping was a girl thing, but Paz really knew what they were doing.

"You done yet, ghost boy?" He heard a familiar voice call.

"Not my name! But yeah." He slipped out of the small room.

"I was right, as usual. You look great!" They smiled.

"You too!" He answered. He was being completely honest. They looked so different from when the twins picked them up. A burgundy beanie covered their newly short hair, tucked behind their ears. They were wearing the black button up with an oversized cardigan and tan jeans.

"OH MY GOD!" Mabel yelled as she exited another stall, wrapping her arms around Paz.

"Honey, you look so good!" She pecked their lips gently. Their partner blushed, looking around.

"Pda, Mabes." She laughed, glancing at the grinning cashier.

"But this is Portland. We don't know anyone here."

"True." They admitted, looking Mabel up and down. She had her hair up in twin buns, and was wearing a pink bomber jacket with a holographic skirt.

"You look like an alien." Dipper scoffed as he took the flannel off and folded it.

"A cute alien." Paz added, digging their hand into their bag, holding Mabel's hand with her other one.

"It was your guys's idea to have a makeover day, so I'm paying."

"Paz, you really don't have to-" Dipper started, but they shushed him.

"Hey, the only person you're gonna piss off by letting me do this is my parents. And they don't even check the bill anymore."

He looked at his sister and she shrugged back. It made sense.

"Is it okay if we wear these out?" Paz asked the man behind the counter, sliding the rest of their clothes and credit card to him.

"Sure, man." He responded as he bagged the items. "You look great by the way!" He winked at Mabel. "You're a lucky lady to have a boyfriend that handsome."

They looked at each other and giggled. "Right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, updates! I've never been to Portland so sorry if it sounds a little stereotypical haha


	8. I'm not as think as you drunk I am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paz introduces some old friends

"Hey!" Paz called, waving as they walked towards a group of teenagers. A few cocked their heads curiously until one spoke up.

"Yo, look who it is!" A boy with black hair exclaimed, standing up. He was maybe fourteen or fifteen, but he walked with a confidence that suggested someone much older.  
"Hey, miss priss. Barely recognized you in that getup!" He laughed.

"Yeah, it's kind of been a day of changes." They admitted, tugging their beanie self-consciously.

"You look good, man!" He turned to the siblings next to her, seemimg unsure of what to say. Paz coughed quietly.

"Oh, this is my girlfriend Mabel, and her brother Dipper." They motioned to them.

"Dipper, Mabel, this is Oliver. He's been teaching me some stuff on the ramp."

"Nice to meet you guys!" Oliver outstretched his hand, shaking with both twins.

"You too! I didn't know Paz had any other friends." Mabel blurted, earning a shove from her partner.

"I mean-friends like you! Cool ones." 

"Nice save, hon." Paz gripped her hand.

The skater laughed, motioning for the trio to follow him.

"Up for a lesson today?" He asked, turning to Paz. They looked over their shoulder.

"Do you guys mind?" They asked the twins cautiously.

"Nope! Show us your stuff dude." Mabel smiled, earning a blush from Paz. She immediately plopped herself in the middle of the other skaters and started braiding one of the guy's hair.

"I didn't bring my board." Paz admitted. A girl with purple hair handed her a green one, smiling. They thanked her quietly and walked towards the ramps.

"I'm not that good, so don't laugh when I fall on my ass." They warned as Oliver's friends laughed.

"She's really not that bad! I'm a good teacher." Oliver reassured.

Paz exchanged an uncomfortable look with their girlfriend, and she spoke up.

"It's 'they' " Mabel corrected.

"Oh, sorry! Haven't seen you for awhile." He apologized, setting his skateboard down.

"No problem." Paz laughed nervously, looking down at the steep curve of the ramp.

"You've done this before, come on." The boy encouraged. The rest of the group caught on, cheering for them. Mabel gave a deafening whoop and Dipper grinned, clapping politely.

Paz looked down one more time, taking a deep breath before pushing themselves forward. They managed to maintain their balance as they slid down, doing a little jump as they held onto one side of the board before braking to a stop with their foot.

"That was awesome!" Mabel yelled at the blushing teenager.

"Yeah, that was really smooth." The black haired boy said.

"Thanks." They looked towards the twins before handing the board back to its owner.

"I'm gonna sit with the rest of the squad for awhile." They said, earning a confused look from Mabel.

"Okay, I'll show you losers how it's done then!" Oliver exclaimed, racing down the concrete.

"It's been awhile, we missed you, chica." The purple haired girl commented, smiling warmly.

"I'm Gabby," She added, then wrapped her arm around the freckled girl next to her.  
"This is my girl Crystal."

"Nice to meet you guys!" Mabel chirped, her brother nodding in agreement. 

Paz smiled as their girlfriend started chattering to the group. They were really glad she had convinced them to come along. They admired the way Mabel's hair bobbed up and down as she excitedly asked questions about life in Portland. Dipper spoke to another skater quietly, chuckling at a joke. He stopped abruptly when Gabby pulled out a joint.

"Ooh, she got the good shit this time!" Crystal whooped, earning a glare from her girlfriend.

"Keep your voice down!" She scanned the area quickly, hands shuffling in her bag. After a few seconds, she triumphantly pulled out a lighter and ignited the blunt. She took a puff before passing it onto the boy next to her, who took his turn and tried handing it to Dipper.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He said nervously. "It might mess with my meds." 

"Yo, that's fine. What about you, little lady?" Mabel gave a quick glance at her brother before accepting.

"Promise you won't tell Stan?"   
Dipper was about to interject before he saw the pleading look in her eyes. He knew it was more likely to be her unending curiosity that drew her to risky things, rather than peer pressure; besides, what's the worst that could happen.

"Sure, but I'm gonna be keeping on eye on you the whole time." He glanced back at her, but she was already inhaling the greens.

"Mabel!"

She coughed for awhile before responding.  
"Come on, it's an adventure."

"Sure, hon." Paz said, taking a tentative hit.

"First couple times I got really paranoid." They admitted. "Not really sure how this is gonna go."

"It smells like my Aunt Peg's house!" Mabel exclaimed cheerfully, Paz shooting a confused look at her brother.

"I thought it was incense!" He insisted, the rest of the group laughing. Suddenly, Oliver skated past him quickly and grinded to a stop.

"Y'all gonna share or what?" He asked, grinning. Gabby handed him the joint and he inhaled what little was left of it, flicking the remains into the grass beside him. Dipper rolled his eyes, picking it up and dropping it into a nearby trash can. He could feel the other boy's eyes on him, and the back of his neck burned.

"What?" He turned around, walking towards Oliver.

"You're very environmentally conscious." He replied, smirking. Mabel turned to look at them, hazily assessing the situation before whispering something into Paz's ear. They both laughed loudly.

"And?" Dipper dug his hands into his pockets, nose to nose with the taller boy. "You don't like me just because I'm not some inconsiderate druggie asshole?"   
The group of teenagers fell quiet.  
"Come on!" Dipper stuck his finger in Oliver's face, looking pissed beyond belief.

"Dipper, chill!" Mabel hissed, trying to look serious despite the glazed look in her eyes. She didn't understand where any of this was coming from, he was fine a few minutes ago.

The skater grabbed Dipper's finger and chuckled softly. "Who said I don't like you?" He whispered in his ear.

Dipper jumped back, blushing furiously. "God, you're disgusting!" He yelled, quickly stalking across the park.

The other kids whooped loudly, making noises and rude gestures after him.

"Dipper!" Mabel called before Paz put a hand on her shoulder, smiling lazily.

"He's fine, Mabes." They reassured, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Mabel knew she should go after her brother, but her partner's touch felt so inviting and..tingly. Suddenly, she grabbed Paz's shoulders, kissing them passionately.   
The crowd around them cheered, egging them on. It felt kind of wrong, making out in front of a bunch of doped up strangers, but the haze in her brain clouded those thoughts as she reached for Paz's thigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I honestly hate how this turned out, but I've been trying to tweak it for weeks and this is all I got. Please leave suggestions on what should happen next or any thoughts on the direction this is going lol.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day trip comes to an end, but not before a surprise ; )

Paz arched back, shaking their head in an attempt to clear their mind. The shouting and vulgar remarks coming from all around them was nauseating. They stood up quickly, Mabel giving them a puzzled look.

"Can we go somewhere else? I'm not feeling-"

Mabel nodded, concern in her eyes. "Sure." She turned around, raising her voice above the rowdy group.

"We gotta get going, it was nice meeting you guys!" She said, tripping a little as she got up.  
The group roared, and her cheeks reddened.

"Bye you two, be safe!" Gabby shouted and winked, earning another round of laughter.  
Paz grabbed Mabel's hand, stalking to a bench on the other side of the park.

"I'm so sorry, those guys can really be assholes." They collapsed onto the top of the table, holding their forehead. Their head was pounding.

"No, it's fine, Paz! They were just messing around." Mabel reassured. It was true that they had been kind of crude, but living with Grunkle Stan had toughened her up quite a bit; it was annoying but tolerable. 

Paz looked up, their face red and tear-streaked. "It's not fine! This was supposed to be a fun day and I ruined it."

Their girlfriend plopped next to them, holding the side of their face.  
"You didn't do anything; it's not a big deal, I promise. I had a lot of fun."

"Really?" Paz asked, wiping their face. Mabel nodded.  
"I'm sorry, it's probably the pot. I already have anxiety all the fucking time, I should've known it would make me feel like this." They sighed, laying their head down on Mabel's lap.

"It's okay, at least you know your limits." Mabel replied, absent-mindedly stroking their hair.  
"I shouldn'tve kissed you like that in front of all those people, either. I could tell you were uncomfortable but I just felt so-" she stopped for a second, gesturing.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Paz agreed.

"My head is like, swimming." Mabel admitted.  
"And I really want a milkshake."

They laughed, sitting up. "Same. Wanna go get something to eat? There's a diner across the street."

"Yes please!"

The restaurant was really cool, old records decorating the walls, and a really nice waitress with many facial piercings. Mabel ordered a strawberry milkshake with fries, and burger, _and_   chicken wings. 

"Holy crap." Paz commented as the food was set onto their table. They looked ravenously at their own cheeseburger, not one to judge.

Mabel giggled self-consciously, taking and sip of the shake. "Mm, this is really good!" She exclaimed, sucking it down in mere seconds.

"Everything taste better on this shit." Paz said, laughing.  
"But I think this place is also pretty decent."

 

After Paz paid (Mabel had pretty much given up offering at this point) they walked out.

"It's almost 3 O'Clock, we should get back on the bus soon." Paz commented, causing Mabel to stop walking.

"We forgot about Dipper!" She yelped, walking quickly back towards towards the park.

"Crap, did he text you?" Paz asked, hastening their pace.

Mabel checked. "Nope. I think I saw him go towards the ball park. I really hope he's not still mad about Oliver."

Paz grabbed her wrist. "I wouldn't worry about that." They pointed towards the bleachers.

"Oh my god." She ducked behind a tree, shushing her partner.

Dipper was sitting on a high bleacher, Oliver all over him. Paz cringed, watching their lips move together at a set pace.

"Stop being creepy, Mabel, we have to get home!"

"Just a little while longer." She said, eyes still locked on the couple. "Dipper has _never_   had a boyfriend! Or a girlfriend, for that matter."

Paz rolled their eyes. "HEY LOVER BOY, WE'RE GONNA MISS THE BUS!"

Dipper lept backwards, yelling as he fell off the bench to the ground. Paz and Mabel doubled over laughing before running to check on him.

"Is he okay?" Mabel asked the other boy between giggles.

"Yo Dipper, are you dead?" Oliver shouted, walked towards the other side of the bleachers.

"I don't think so." He groaned, checking himself over before making eye contact with his sister. His face turned bright red as a tomato and he stood up.

"I uh-I gotta go." Dipper mumbled, giving the boy an embarrassed glance.

"Yeah, see you around." Oliver smirked, giving him a small wave.

"He'll text you!" Mabel called, walking away with the two.

"Shit!" Paz yelped as the bus barreled towards the sidewalk, grabbing their girlfriend's hand and starting to run. 

The three barely made it on, breathing heavily as they slumped against the seats. They sat in silence for a few seconds before Mabel spoke up.

"So?" She chirped, nudging her brother.

"So what?" He griped.

"What the heck happened? I thought you hated that guy!"

"I do!" He assured her. "I mean, I walked away and he started following me! He was being really annoying and wouldn't stop trying to talk to me, and he was sort of flirting so I-" he put his hoodie up, blushing. "I kind of kissed him."

"Kind of? I thought you guys were gonna swallow each other." Paz interjected. Mabel laughed, shoving them playfully.

The rest of the ride was uneventful, Mabel scrolling through her tumblr feed and occasionally shoving an earbud into Paz's ear to show them some funny video, with them usually not understanding the joke.

The bus stopped near the shack, and the trio hopped out. 

"Hey, I have something for you!" Dipper pointed to Paz before running off towards the shop. They shot Mabel a questioning look, and she shrugged.

"Here!" He said, placing a black item in their hands. "I don't really know if we're the same size, or even want one, but this is one of the first ones I got and I don't really need it anymore so-"

"Dipper." Paz stopped him, unfolding the binder. It was faded, but the elastic felt sturdy and it looked well made. "Thank you so much." They wrapped him into a quick hug.

"No problem." He scratched his neck awkwardly.

"Really, today meant so much to me, you guys. I'm really glad it happened."

"Me too, Paz!" Mabel exclaimed, and her brother nodded.

"Kids? The floor isn't gonna sweep itself!" A gruff voice called from the shack.

"Bye, hon." Mabel gave her partner a quick kiss and ran off.

Paz smiled, watching her as she entered the house.

 _'I'm the luckiest person in the world'_  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unoriginal chapter title is unoriginal lol. But I updated!! I already have the outline for the next chapter, get ready to cry tbh,,


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